Devil’s Advocate (PG-13) 11/2/2015

[darkstarrising]

Dearest Readers,

Eight years ago, on November 2, 2007, one of my favorite ML episodes, “BC” aired. Why did I enjoy this one so much? “BC” allowed the actors to portray their respective characters in ways we hadn’t seen before (an embarrassed Josef, a high Beth and a very nervous Mick) allowing for several fabulous character interactions. Beth and Steve during the photo shoot, Mick coaxing Josef to explain why he was so intent on finding Lola, the various confrontations between Beth and Josh, and my particular favorite – the scene between Mick and Beth after she’s taken Black Crystal. If there were any dailies of that particular scene still around, I’d love to see them.

That said, there were a few ‘blanks’ between some key scenes in the episode. We see Mick running up the stairs after Beth, then the two of them in the shower. We then see them the next morning with Beth wearing Mick’s shirt and after a brief conversation, she leaves, saying she has ‘apologies to make’.

So what happened in between? Only Mick knows for certain and this story provides a peek into his conscience as he tries not to think about what almost happened.

Any quotes from “BC” are done with respect to Erin Maher and Kathryn Reindl who wrote the episode. Please enjoy!!

Devil’s Advocate

Mick’s voice over

Sometimes, you gotta go through hell to get to heaven. Last night was hell, but heaven is nowhere in sight.

Beth’s coffee is cold now; she hardly touched it. Maybe seeing that little black dress made her blush or maybe it was finding herself wearing nothing but my shirt. Either way, she couldn’t hide her embarrassment.

‘That is not like me at all.’

Me? All I felt was disappointment, and I know it showed.

After Beth went upstairs to change, I slunk into my office, hoping to avoid any awkward questions like how I got her out of that wet, skin-tight dress and into my shirt. She really doesn’t want to know the answer and I don’t trust myself to give it. Besides, I’d like to preserve what little dignity is left, and not just hers.

Hearing the outer door click shut tells me it’s safe to come out of hiding. Beth may be gone, but her scent lingers everywhere. There’s no escaping it. Problem is, I’m not sure I want to.

Liar. You know damn well what you want… Beth…and not just her scent.

Yeah, but not like last night.

Why not? She came on to you…hell, she almost jumped you.

She was high on that damned drug and didn’t know what she was doing.

You sure? Maybe you were seeing the real Beth last night and you’re just afraid to admit the truth…

Truth? The truth is that she’s human and I’m not. Like I told her before, it could never work. We could never work.

Based on what Josef said?

Yeah, so?

You believe everything Josef tells you?

No, but why would he lie about something like that?

It’s what Josef does. He manipulates people. Gets them to do what he wants. Look at all the lies he told you about how Lola got his money…

Hey, he was embarrassed, that’s all.

Maybe, but he still got you to track her down.

If I hadn’t, the body count would have been higher, human and vamp.

OK, I’ll give you that. But even if Josef is right about the human-vamp thing, there’s a way around that little problem…

Turn Beth? Not gonna happen. Ever.

That’s not just your decision.

Like hell it’s not.

In case you haven’t noticed, you’re not the only vamp in town…

If anyone else even thinks about turning her, it’ll be the last thing they do.

Sanctimonious bastard, aren’t you?

Not really. Just a protective one.

All right, let’s say Beth stays mortal for now…

She stays mortal, period.

OK, but you saw what she was like last night. If just a little vamp blood turned her on, can you imagine….

Yeah, I can, but I won’t. Shut up and leave me alone.

Killjoy.

It’s time to hit the freezer and silence that dangerous voice in my head, the one that’s beginning to sound suspiciously like Josef. I’m not sure how much Beth remembers about her walk-on-the-wild-side, but trust me, some things about last night are best forgotten, for both our sakes.

For now, I need to focus on finding Lola before she can do any more harm. Bad enough she’s draining vamps for profit, but when humans begin to drop dead, the cops take notice. Their search for a culprit could lead back to the tribe and that’s something I just can’t let happen.

Last night’s visit to Club Valis was eye-opening, in more ways than one. Josef had warned me about Lola, about her power, but I clearly underestimated her. She was as dangerous as she was beautiful, reading Beth and myself like open books and turning our hidden desires against us. Like the serpent in the Garden of Eden, Lola tempted Beth with knowledge of what it was to be like me, planting dangerous seeds in both our minds.

‘He cares about you, but he hasn't turned you… I know you've looked at him and wondered, what does it feel like to move through the night so powerful, nothing can touch you? I can give you that...’

Like I said before, being near me puts Beth in danger, in ways even I didn’t realize until last night.

Once inside my sanctuary, I dim the lights and I start to strip. The shirt Beth wore is laying on my freezer and without thinking, I pick it up. Her scent overwhelms me and once again, so does temptation.

C’mon, man, just think about it for a minute…Beth’s not here, so what’s the harm?

In a moment of weakness, I give in. I close my eyes and memories of last night come flooding back. Beth like I’d never seen her before, uninhibited, sensual, tempting me in ways I didn’t think she knew how. She’s so close…too close. Hear her heartbeat? Hell, I could feel her heartbeat. The scent of her arousal awakened my own.

Good, keep going…bring it all back, savor the memories…

Beth’s fingers brushing my skin, her lips teasing mine. There’s no space…she’s so close I can taste her desire. I can almost taste her blood. She doesn’t understand what she’s doing to me, but I don’t care. I want her.

Why should you care? Beth’s a grown woman. And by the way, I’m pretty damned sure she knew what she was doing…

Her sultry invitation, that slow, sexy strut up the stairs…I had to follow.

See? She wanted you…

Yeah, I know.

Then why didn’t you take her?

I almost did.

My eyes close again, and I see Beth just outside my sanctuary, half-hidden in the shadows, but not from me. She smiles seductively, then starts slipping off the straps of her dress, daring me with her eyes to finish what she started. Her shoulders and neck are bare now, her blood pulsing hypnotically in a rhythm I can’t resist. I’d tasted Beth’s blood in the desert. I knew how sweet it was, how fear had made it all the more intoxicating. I could only imagine what lust would do to it.

I watch as Beth slowly approaches, her smoldering eyes never leaving mine. Instinctively, I close the distance between us, pulling her tight against me. Her human heat thrills me as my fingers brush back her golden hair, her pulse quickening as I trace the vein I seek. Turning her head, Beth moans in ecstasy, and I transform.

Man and vampire, all I want is to take what she’s offering, body and blood. If I do, I know I won’t be able to stop myself. Not this time.

So why did you stop?

Two words, just two words was all it took.

‘Turn me.’

I’d told Beth that I was a monster once, but I know she didn’t believe me. If I had taken advantage of her last night, I’d have given her proof.

That’s the only reason?

No. I love Beth. I couldn’t do to her what was done to me.

And…

I need her to love me in return, really love me. You happy now?

Was that so hard to admit?

No. Yes. Damn it!! What the hell do you want from me?

Honesty.

Why?

Because this can only end one of two ways - eternity with Beth, or eternity without her. Eventually, you’ll have to choose.

How do I choose? Having Beth’s love would be heaven on earth. But if I let Beth get closer, I’m playing with fire, the eternal kind.

Damned if you do…

Walk away from her and I lose the only glimpse of heaven I’ve seen in decades, maybe the only glimpse I’ll ever get. Without Beth, the rest of my life will be a solitary hell on earth.

Damned if you don’t…

No one deserves being lonely for all eternity. Not even me.

Agreed. So, boyo, what will it be?

I … I don’t know.

Yeah, you do, you just won’t admit it. We’ll talk again soon, I promise.

[francis]

What a great voiceover! I would love to hear this in Mick's / Alex' voice. You know, the devil inside in that dark voice of his, the man outside with a hint of panic. I can imagine it with your script.

[MickLifeCrisis]

Love Mick's inner dialogue with himself! And as Mick picked up his shirt that Beth wore, I'm just picturing him smelling it as Beth smelled Mick's in 12:04 AM.

A wonderful read, dsr! Thank you for sharing.

[allegrita]

Oh. Wow. This is just all sorts of wonderful. Sexy, angsty, and best of all, I "heard" every line in Mick's gravel-velvet voice. This is just gorgeous, DSR. Thank you!!

[MoonMarg]

Oh this was amazing.

[darkstarrising]

Thanks, ladies I'm glad you enjoyed this little peek inside Mick's head as he wrestled with his conscience. Part of the inspiration for this was the look on Mick's face after Beth struts up the stairs after issuing her sultry invitation. For a second, it looks as though Mick's tempted...

[MickLifeCrisis]

I didn't remember reading this at all (what else is new? ) so this was like reading it for the first time. I LOVED Mick being grilled by... Mick. I also heard Mick's voice in his conversation with himself. And I love the missing scenes in the episode you filled in for us. Well done, dsr, and thank you again for sharing!

[Ella713]

Ooh, this was so good!! I could really imagine Josef being the one speaking to Mick's mind. Poor Mick. He's always so conflicted in his vampire life, so torn by his love for Beth and his desire to never see her made a vampire!

[allegrita]

This story is so good! And it fills in a lot of important stuff that the show glossed over--how did Beth get out of her soaking wet dress and into that shirt of Mick's, hmmm?

Mick was definitely tempted when he ran up those stairs. And he was fighting himself as well as Beth as he held her under the shower. But I can totally see him reacting exactly as you describe, DSR, when Beth said "Turn me." That was the opposite of what he wanted, especially at that point in their relationship.

Man, that shower scene. It still gets me every time. And I'm still annoyed at Beth for blithely telling Mick she had some apologies to make. Ahem, Beth--the guy you owe the biggest apology to is sitting right next to you! That woman needs more than an off switch. She needs a sometimes.

[MickLifeCrisis]

And I'm still annoyed at Beth for blithely telling Mick she had some apologies to make. Ahem, Beth--the guy you owe the biggest apology to is sitting right next to you!

THIS. This always bugged me, too! I totally expected Beth to say, "I have some apologies to make, and the first one is to you."

[Ella713]

And I'm still annoyed at Beth for blithely telling Mick she had some apologies to make. Ahem, Beth--the guy you owe the biggest apology to is sitting right next to you!

THIS. This always bugged me, too! I totally expected Beth to say, "I have some apologies to make, and the first one is to you."

Great point!!